Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ignited a fresh controversy amid ongoing eviction drives across the state, suggesting a potential “conspiracy” behind the migration of erosion-hit and landless individuals. Sarma claimed that people are moving 200-300 kilometres away from their native places to settle in areas predominantly inhabited by “Hindus or Assamese Muslims,” thereby threatening the demographic balance.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come as the state government intensifies its efforts to clear encroached land, particularly in reserve forests and grazing reserves. Recent major eviction operations in Dhubri and Goalpara districts saw over 4,500 bighas of land cleared, with the majority of the evicted individuals identified as Bengali-speaking Muslims. Sarma questioned the rationale behind these internal migrations, stating, “Our issue is why they are going to places 200-300 km away where Hindus or Assamese Muslims live. As a result, our people are suffering from insecurity. That’s why the issue is not only eviction, but along with it, a hidden conspiracy to make us a minority.”
Sarma did not rule out the possibility of poverty or political influence driving these settlement patterns, stating, “Whether it is conspiracy or poverty, or political people are behind it, it needs to be investigated.” He highlighted that approximately 8 lakh bighas of government land in Assam remain under encroachment. While acknowledging the hardship of eviction drives, he reiterated that the state is bound by strict orders from the Supreme Court and High Court to reclaim encroached forest, VGR (Village Grazing Reserve), and PGR (Professional Grazing Reserve) lands.
The Chief Minister cited examples from recent eviction drives, noting that people from distant areas like South Salmara and Karimganj were found encroaching in Lakhimpur in northern Assam. He questioned this pattern, asserting, “If I am landless, I will look for land in my own district.” He called for a detailed study into these immigration patterns, questioning whether the shifts were solely due to poverty or if individuals were being relocated for electoral gain in Assamese-majority areas. He specifically mentioned a perceived demographic shift in the Sarupathar constituency in Golaghat district, attributing it to the settlement of people from Dhing and Rupohi in Nagaon district.
Sarma affirmed that genuine citizens affected by erosion would be allotted land in ‘chars’ (riverine sandbars) if they petition their respective district commissioners. He had previously stated in Guwahati that eviction drives would continue, with over 25,000 acres of land cleared in the last four years. In contrast, the Congress party has criticised the ongoing evictions, promising compensation to all Indian citizens evicted during the BJP’s tenure should they come to power in the state assembly elections due next year.
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